Luminous mind

[jonesboy]

In Theravada

Ajahn Mun, the leading figure behind the modern Thai Forest Tradition, comments on this verse:

The mind is something more radiant than anything else can be, but because counterfeits – passing defilements – come and obscure it, it loses its radiance, like the sun when obscured by clouds. Don’t go thinking that the sun goes after the clouds. Instead, the clouds come drifting along and obscure the sun. So meditators, when they know in this manner, should do away with these counterfeits by analyzing them shrewdly... When they develop the mind to the stage of the primal mind, this will mean that all counterfeits are destroyed, or rather, counterfeit things won’t be able to reach into the primal mind, because the bridge making the connection will have been destroyed. Even though the mind may then still have to come into contact with the preoccupations of the world, its contact will be like that of a bead of water rolling over a lotus leaf.[15]

Thanissaro Bhikkhu sees the luminous mind as "the mind that the meditator is trying to develop. To perceive its luminosity means understanding that defilements such as greed, aversion, or delusion are not intrinsic to its nature, are not a necessary part of awareness." He associates the term with the simile used to describe the fourth jhana which states:

"Just as if a man were sitting covered from head to foot with a white cloth so that there would be no part of his body to which the white cloth did not extend; even so, the monk sits, permeating the body with a pure, bright awareness. There is nothing of his entire body unpervaded by pure, bright awareness.

In Mahayana Buddhism

Mahayana sutras generally affirm the pure and luminous nature of the mind, adding that this is its natural condition (prakrti-prabhsvara-citta).

This mind (citta) is no-mind (acitta), because its natural character is luminous. What is this state of the mind’s luminosity (prabhsvarat)? When the mind is neither associated with nor dissociated from greed, hatred, delusion, proclivities (anusaya), fetters (samyojana), or false views (drsti), then this constitutes its luminosity. Does the mind exist as no-mind? In the state of no-mind (acittat), the states of existence (astit) or non-existence (nstit) can be neither found nor established... What is this state of no-mind? The state of no-mind, which is immutable (avikra) and undifferentiated (avikalpa), constitutes the ultimate reality (dharmat) of all dharmas. Such is the state of no-mind.

Tathagatagarbha

In the canonical discourses, when the brightly shining citta is "unstained," it is supremely poised for arahantship, and so could be conceived as the "womb" of the arahant, for which a synonym is tathagata.[26] The discourses do not support seeing the "luminous mind" as "nirvana within" which exists prior to liberation.[27] While the Canon does not support the identification of the "luminous mind" in its raw state with nirvanic consciousness, passages could be taken to imply that it can be transformed into the latter.[28][29] Upon the destruction of the fetters, according to one scholar, "the shining nibbanic consciousness flashes out of the womb of arahantship, being without object or support, so transcending all limitations."[30]

Both the Shurangama Sutra and the Lankavatara Sutra describe the tathagatagarbha ("arahant womb") as "by nature brightly shining and pure," and "originally pure," though "enveloped in the garments of the skandhas, dhatus and ayatanas and soiled with the dirt of attachment, hatred, delusion and false imagining." It is said to be "naturally pure," but it appears impure as it is stained by adventitious defilements.[31] Thus the Lankavatara Sutra identifies the luminous mind of the Canon with the tathagatagarbha.[32] Some Gelug philosophers, in contrast to teachings in the Lankavatara Sutra, maintain that the "purity" of the tathagatagarbha is not because it is originally or fundamentally pure, but because mental flaws can be removed — that is, like anything else, they are not part of an individual's fundamental essence. These thinkers thus refuse to turn epistemological insight about emptiness and Buddha-nature into an essentialist metaphysics.

Vajrayana

Luminosity or clear light (Tibetan 'od gsal, Sanskrit prabhāsvara), is a central concept in Esoteric Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism and Bon. It is the innate condition of the mind, associated with buddha-nature, the realisation of which is the goal of meditative practice.

The Indian tantric commentator Indrabhuti, in his Jñanasiddhi, states that

Being luminous by nature, this mind is similar to the moon’s disc. The lunar disc epitomises the knowledge (jñāna) that is luminous by nature. Just as the waxing moon gradually emerges in its fullness, in the same way the mind-jewel (cittaratna), being naturally luminous, also fully emerges in its perfected state. Just as the moon becomes fully visible, once it is freed from the accidental obscurities, in the same way the mind-jewel, being pure by nature (prakṛti-pariśuddha), once separated from the stains of defilements (kleśa), appears as the perfected buddha-qualities (guṇa).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_mind

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[Unseeking Seeker]

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Thanks for your effort in compiling this

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[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

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Thanks for your effort in compiling this

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Thanks, there is a lot more if anyone is interested.

[Phaelyn]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

In Theravada
The mind is something more radiant than anything else can be, but because counterfeits – passing defilements – come and obscure it, it loses its radiance, like the sun when obscured by clouds. Don’t go thinking that the sun goes after the clouds. Instead, the clouds come drifting along and obscure the sun.

.

I think that line is wrong. It makes no sense as written. It could be: Don’t go thinking that the sun creates the clouds.

So it would read:

The mind is something more radiant than anything else can be, but because counterfeits – passing defilements – come and obscure it, it loses its radiance, like the sun when obscured by clouds. Don’t go thinking that the sun creates the clouds. Instead, the clouds come drifting along and obscure the sun.

[Phaelyn]

Oh I thought of one way that line may work.

Don’t go thinking that the sun goes after the clouds.

The writer could have been trying to use a metaphor to describe the proper relationship one should have with thoughts. Thoughts obscure the direct perception of now as it is, ONLY if our attention goes there, into/onto thought. So the writer is trying to describe using a metaphor that the "clouds" or thoughts really are of no concern, the thing "obscuring" is the attention being in/on thought due to a lack of awareness one is doing such a thing and being aware this focus on thought is not only optional, it is obscuring the better experience of now as it is before thoughts color it. Well like I said, thought is not coloring anything. They are just there like the clouds. It is us associating/identifying with thought that produces the effect. Thoughts in themselves can't product any effect without our effort and cooperation. In the same way, clouds could not "obscure" the sun unless some being there to be aware of it. It would happen, but no living thing or consciousness would be there to come up with an idea of "obscuring." The eyes or lens would have to be there to view it for it to exist or be turned into a concept of obscuring. It's like how a tree falling in the woods actually does not make a sound without an ear or recording device of some kind to be there as all the tree makes is a sound wave, not an actual sound. The ear and brain makes the wave into a sound. Like how a cd player makes the data on it into something the ear can make into sound. The cd without a cd player cannot produce a sound. Like how a rainbow does not exist with only two elements present, the sun and moisture in the air....without the lens, no colors are in the air.

[JustBe]

Originally Posted by Phaelyn

I think that line is wrong. It makes no sense as written. It could be: Don’t go thinking that the sun creates the clouds.

So it would read:

The mind is something more radiant than anything else can be, but because counterfeits – passing defilements – come and obscure it, it loses its radiance, like the sun when obscured by clouds. Don’t go thinking that the sun creates the clouds. Instead, the clouds come drifting along and obscure the sun.

@jonesboy If you isolate two aspects of creation such as ‘The sun, the clouds’ in a metaphor as such your missing the ‘whole’ nature of creation as it moves and is being as one ‘all together’. We as humans are designed in the same way. So it would make more sense to be in a presence with all of yourself being and moving as things are. In this view of ‘pointing’ out two aspects of so much more, you will only see the clouds as an obstruction to the sun. The radiance is lost in the one looking into this and seeing it as this.

Your mind when it says ‘don’t go thinking’ the sun creates the clouds. No, just be aware ‘your’ creating through your own limited view, where everything is moving creating itself as a ‘whole’ ..

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by JustBe

@jonesboy If you isolate two aspects of creation such as ‘The sun, the clouds’ in a metaphor as such your missing the ‘whole’ nature of creation as it moves and is being as one ‘all together’. We as humans are designed in the same way. So it would make more sense to be in a presence with all of yourself being and moving as things are. In this view of ‘pointing’ out two aspects of so much more, you will only see the clouds as an obstruction to the sun. The radiance is lost in the one looking into this and seeing it as this.

Your mind when it says ‘don’t go thinking’ the sun creates the clouds. No, just be aware ‘your’ creating through your own limited view, where everything is moving creating itself as a ‘whole’ ..

I'm not but I would encourage you to try to understand what they are trying to relate to you.

Anyone who does mindfulness meditation would have an understanding of the sun and the clouds.

The sun is the radiate mind, the clouds are your obstructions that block out that realization or seeing the sun, which is your true nature.

If you haven't realized your luminous nature then you are far from"the ‘whole’ nature of creation as it moves and is being as one ‘all together’."

[jonesboy]

Longchen Rabjam

A Guide to the
Four Chog Zhag and
Three Samadhis
of the
Chöying Dzöd

Emptiness is Dharmakaya, luminosity is the Sambhogakaya, and radiance is Nirmanakaya; these three are neither collected together nor separate. Since the timeless excellent qualities are spontaneously present and ensured, there is no obscuration by the darkness of faults (skyon) or wrongdoings (nyes). As one, without a before or after, or the three times, or change or transmigration, it uniquely pervades all Buddhas and sentient beings. This is called enlightened mind occurring on its own.

Mind as it is, by the aspect of emptiness is the Dharmakaya, by the aspect of luminous clarity is the Sambhogakaya, and by the aspect of arising is the Nirmanakaya. Although these names are quoted to describe them, given that it does not exist even in the slightest as something established with an essence that can be grasped, this mind of enlightened understanding itself is without the three times and without change or transmigration. All of Samsara and Nirvana are therefore pervaded in this way by this quintessence.

In this regard, the individual spontaneously present awareness, the essence of the Dharmakaya, is like the emptiness-luminous clarity (stong gsal) of the sky in being without characteristics and substantiality. Moreover, (1) not knowing the essence of this is coemergent ignorance while (2) fixating on things to be what they are not is conceptual ignorance. Therefore, in having “gone off” to this downpour of bewilderment and its subject-object duality, the myriad of appearances dawns as the bewilderment of Samsara.

This bare awareness is the union of luminosity (knowing) and emptiness, transparent and all-penetrating in its nakedness, and is completely unobstructed, unblemished, unhindered. This awareness remains naturally, in its own state, as it is, completely unfettered, timelessly uncontrived.

Mind itself is timelessly empty and without a “self.” Although not existing in nature, its aspect of luminosity is unceasing, like a moon reflecting in water. Non-dual luminosity and emptiness is the most excellent timeless knowing (ye shes) of awareness (rig pa). You must realize this spontaneously present nature itself.

[Unseeking Seeker]

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@ jonesboy ... what is the difference between luminosity and radiance?

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[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

Thanks, there is a lot more if anyone is interested.

I am interested!